Kill la Kill - Main Characters / Characters

This index is for the main characters of Kill la Kill. Unmarked spoilers ahead.

Character-Specific Pages

Ryuko Matoi

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General

Action Girl: All three girls, though it takes Mako a while to become one.
Blood Oath: Ryuko mentions this after the other three manage to free her from Junketsu's control. She then proudly declares that she feels Senketsu has gotten warmer thanks to Mako and Satsuki's blood flowing through him. Although she doesn't appreciate Satsuki's blood being inside Senketsu anywhere near as much as she does Mako's for obvious reasons.
Chaste Hero: Ryuko and Satsuki don't seem to be interested in any sort of romantic relationship with anyone. With the latter, this makes sense if you consider her backstory. Ryuko does, however, agree to go on a date with Mako at the end of the anime and does so through the final episode’s credits.
Dark Action Girl: Mako and Ryuko briefly undergo a Face–Heel Turn, while Satsuki was initially the Big Bad.
Four-Temperament Ensemble:
- Ryuko is Choleric due to her Hot-Blooded nature and single-minded determination to get the answers she wants out of Satsuki.
- Senketsu is Phlegmatic, mostly being interested in assisting Ryuko's quest and protecting her from harms way, as well as try to keep her extreme temper under control.
- Mako is Sanguine being the Plucky Comic Relief interested in having fun with Ryuko and seems to know just what to say in a given situation to snap people out of their funk.
- Satsuki is Melancholic. She focuses on accomplishing her plans and using whatever means necessary to do so and cares very little for anything that hinders her progress.
Nice, Mean, and In-Between: Mako and Ryuko are the nice and mean, respectively, with Senketsu acting as the in-between. However, Ryuko gets much better in the end.
Town Girls: While Mako plays the role of the friendship-obsessed and good-natured character, Ryuko has a tougher image, doing lots of fighting, being of a gruffer nature and cursing frequently. Satsuki is a tough Lady of War who joins them by the end of the series.
True Companions: Ryuko has Mako and Senketsu in her corner for most of the series, who snap her out of her more emotional moments whenever they can. Satsuki has the Elite 4, who all have nothing but Undying Loyalty towards her. By the end of the series, both groups come together to form one large group of True Companions.

Satsuki Kiryuin

Voiced by: Ryōka Yuzuki (Japanese), Carrie Keranen (English)^{Foreign VAs}

^{Life Fiber Override Form}

"Fear is freedom! Subjugation is liberation! Contradiction is the truth! Those are the facts of this world, and you will all surrender to them, you pigs in human clothing!"

The Student Council President of Honnouji Academy, and Ryuko's arch rival. Her goal: total world domination through the superpower-endowing Goku Uniforms. Her sword, Bakuzan, is enough to withstand even the awe-inspiring might of Ryuko's Kamui, Senketsu. Not one to let herself get outdone by anyone, however, she ends up donning her own Kamui, Junketsu,^note"Purity" to counter Ryuko's.

Absurdly Sharp Blade: Her sword is keener than the Scissor Blades and it's able to easily cut Senketsu.
The Ace: Very much so in the first half of the series. She's the president of an Absurdly Powerful Student Council that rules an entire school and has enough influence to take over other schools across the globe, is feared and admired by everyone in said school, masters the power of her Kamui before the protagonist is able to, and has a plan for almost anything that might be an inconvenience for her. The second half of the series tears all of that down.
Affably Evil: Subverted by being Good All Along but even when she was the Big Bad, she was usually polite and remained a tough but fair Benevolent Boss to her direct staff.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: By episode 22, she becomes humble enough to ask Ryuko to join forces with her and defeat Ragyo.
Aloof Big Sister: Subverted. By the time she reunites with Ryuko following The Reveal, she already Took a Level in Kindness.
Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: She has long black hair in a Hime Cut and pale skin and towers over all the other students, both in height as in presence. She is the Student Council President and she doesn't care about what other people think of her (or her body), but leaves her students in awe because of her beauty and massive charisma. She has a Sugar-and-Ice Personality, acting cool, distant and arrogant in public, staying in control of her emotions at all times (due to her Freudian Excuse). But she allows herself to smile and relax a bit more among the select few she genuinely trusts and respects.
Amazonian Beauty: While on the lean side, she and Ryuko are both very muscular. Just look.
Animal Motifs: The eagle, although portrayed subtly. Her "ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars" line is obvious, and she's always standing at the top of the school, akin to an eagle watching from its perch. Also, she has very sharp toenails, and her ultimate goal is to free everyone from the Life Fibers, much like how the eagle can represent freedom.
Anti-Hero: Of the Good Is Not Nice and Pragmatic Hero variety, everything she has done is to make her army stronger and complete the façade of allegiance, in order to defeat her mother and free the world from the Life Fibers.
Anti-Villain: A combination of the Noble and Well-Intentioned variants. She's a complete and utter despot with disdain for the weak, but only because she believes the world to be in complete disarray unless she's in control. She also shows respect and even kindness to those who prove their strength and resolve. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise when she later pulls a Heel–Face Turn.
Arch-Enemy: Out of everyone in the school, Satsuki is at the very top of Ryuko's hit list since she believes the former knows what happened to her father, at least before the actual culprit entered the picture. Afterward, the antagonism dies down somewhat between them and Satsuki straddles the line between this and being The Rival. Later on, she becomes an ally and teams up with Ryuko in order to defeat their mother Ragyo.
The Atoner: She's genuinely sorry for putting Ryuko through hell and trying to make her her pawn, and tries to act like a Cool Big Sis to her to make up for what she's done. At the end of the series, she promises Rei that she'll spend her life trying to right any wrong in the world she encounters.
Authority Sounds Deep: She has a noticeably prominent and deep voice compared to the most of the women in the cast, especially when it comes to exercising her authority over others, although she has her share of action as well.
Badass Back: She pulls this off very well.
Badass Longcoat: Briefly dons one in episode 22.
Badass Normal: Is able to put Ryuko, wearing Senketsu, in a pinch without a Goku Uniform or Kamui, and can blow away 500 men with just a shout. Also, she is capable of using and controlling Junketsu, an evil Kamui Uniform, something even Ryuko couldn't do. She doesn't have special abilities, and isn't a Life Fiber hybrid like at least three other characters, she's just Satsuki Kiryuin.
Benevolent Boss: To the Elite Four, at least. The rest of the Academy? Not so much.
Bespectacled Cutie: She takes up wearing glasses that make her look extra cute following the events of the series.
Big Good: Despite appearing otherwise, she is in fact plotting to stop Ragyo and has created Honnouji Academy to train students to be able to fight her mother and her Life Fibers.
Big Ol' Eyebrows: A highly unusual feature for a Lady of War, which she inherited from her mother. Shown to have had them back when she was a baby. Ryuko even calls her a "caterpillar-eyebrowed bitch" to mock her at one point. Amusingly enough, the first drama CD reveals that she doesn't think that they're big, because they taper at the edges.
Black Swords Are Better: Bakuzan has a very dark finish, seen during the rare times she's drawn and wreaked havoc with it. Unfortunately, it's not quite good enough; Ragyo is able to shatter it.
Boring, but Practical: In a fight which involved sentient alien school uniforms, shadow clones, optical camouflage, mini-mecha, etc., she created an opening she needed to decapitate Ragyo by blinding them with her sword's reflection, one of the oldest sword tricks in the book.
Boyish Short Hair: As a middle school student, she had a shoulder-length bob haircut.
Break the Haughty: Episode 18 is not kind to her. Neither has any episode after that until episode 21. This is ultimately subverted as her greatest asset, her will, is far from broken, no matter how harsh a physical beating she might get.
Brought Down to Badass: Thanks to some toe blades, she's able to break out of her prison and oneshot COVERS even while completely naked. She is also able to fight evenly with Nui despite being stripped of her Kamui.
Calling Parents by Their Name: She refers to her mother by her name, several times even on a Full-Name Basis.
Calling Your Attacks: How she's able to utilize Senketsu's transformation forms during episode 21. She even invents one for him on the spot. This is because she cannot communicate with Senketsu the way Ryuko can, thus has to call out her desired transformation. Ryuko points out that this method has a slight timing lag, thus is easier to stop.
Came Back Strong: Because Bakuzan is shattered, then reforged into two blades, it gains the same ability to destroy Life Fibers that Ryuko's Scissor Blades do. This is averted fifty-three seconds into the final episode, when they are once again destroyed by Ragyo.
Catch a Falling Star: She catches Ryuko as she is falling from space. It doesn't stop Ryuko's motion though, just changes the direction from vertical to horizontal. It takes the entire cast to safely slow Ryuko down.
Character Development: She was initially an arrogant Social Darwinist who had no problems using people as pawns for her plans, and while her goals were later revealed to be noble, she acknowledges that treating people that way made her no different from Ragyo and humbly asks Ryuko for her help in defeating their mother. Afterward, she mellows out significantly sporting a far more relaxed expression and even smiles and laughs a lot more.
Charles Atlas Superpower: There is no indication that there is anything abnormal about her fighting prowess and yet she can crush steel armor with mere strikes of her sheathed sword.
The Chessmaster: She is a Machiavellian-style tactical genius, as she excels at executing plans that will aid her goals. The culmination of her plans enables her to gain any advantage she comes across.
Childhood Friends: She's been friends with Jakuzure since before kindergarten.
Cleavage Window: While wearing Junketsu.
Close-Call Haircut: In episode 25, Hououmaru attempts to slit Satsuki's throat when she's defeated, but fails to kill her and cuts the right part of her hair. Satsuki later cuts the rest of her hair short, as proof of having graduated from Ragyo's shadow.
Combat Stilettos: She wears high heels in both her inactive and activated forms of Junketsu. Her heels are often prominently shown hitting the ground (with a distinctive CL-ACK! sound) whenever she makes a Dynamic Entry.
Consummate Liar: Had Ragyo completely fooled into thinking she was loyal.
Cool Big Sis: By the end of the series, Satsuki is definitely trying to live up to this role for her actual younger sister, Ryuko; the latter even calls her such eventually.
Cool Sword: Secret Sword Bakuzan, a katana so sharp that it can cut Kamui and send people flying with the sheer Razor Wind it emits when swung.
Crazy-Prepared:
- Satsuki is not one to underestimate, despite it looking like everything she planned all led to episode 18. Episode 19 shows that she did have a few plans in case she lost, such as rigging the stadium to blow, or got captured, where she reveals that some of her toenails have been replaced with the same metal the Bakuzan is made of.
- She had Honnouji Academy in its entirety built as a hidden Humongous Mecha, to fight the Primordial Life Fiber.
Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Casually delivers one to Ryuko during their first fight to show just how more experienced she is with her Kamui.
- During episode 18, Ragyo inflicts a brutal one on her, reducing Satsuki to a bloody, broken husk of her former self.
- In episode 21, she is once again on the receiving end, this time against a Junketsu-wearing Ryuko, despite wearing Senketsu since she couldn't access his full strength (Ryuko, however, had all of Junketsu's power). But she has a plan.
Cynicism Catalyst: Her deceased little sister is one of her biggest reasons for rebelling against her mother. She planned on avenging her death, their father's death, and stopping Ragyo's ultimate goal with the Life Fibers. Several minutes after revealing this, she, along with everyone else, discover that her sister was actually Ryuko all along.
Daddy's Girl: Played for Drama. After his death, she takes up his plans in order to fight her mother and destroy the COVERS.
Daddy's Little Villain: Extremely ambitious and ruthless, she also inherited her charisma and love for speeches from her mother. This is subverted because it's been all a ruse to fool Ragyo so Satsuki could kill her and save humanity from Life Fibers.
Damsel out of Distress: Episode 19 has her captured by Ragyo, but Satsuki later escapes using just her toenails as weapons.
Dark Action Girl: Even her most martially skilled subordinates have an infallible respect for her fighting prowess.
Dark and Troubled Past: Her father was killed by her mother and her sister, Ryuko, was subjected to medical experimentation, and she spent most of her life being physically and sexually abused by her mother.
Dark Is Not Evil: She temporarily wears Senketsu in episode 21 in order to stop a brainwashed Ryuko.
Deadpan Snarker: Can be this when not overtly stern.
Defeat Means Friendship: This is how she recruited Gamagoori and Sanageyama, with Inumuta being a borderline case.
Defector from Decadence: Ever since she was 5 years old, she has been plotting to destroy her mother Ragyo, the true Big Bad, and eliminate the Life Fibers.
Defrosting Ice Queen: She gradually softens. Satsuki starts out as a ruthless Social Darwinist, but later shows a softer side when she stops a humiliated Gamagoori from committing suicide. By episode 22, she even smiles now and then.
Determinator: She holds strength of will and resolve in the highest of regards, and even though Junketsu puts an enormous strain on her and tries to devour her, she never lets it show in front of Ryuko or even her Elite Four. Even after her lifelong planned revolution failed and she had been imprisoned on chains for an entire month, she still hasn't given up.
Deuteragonist: The series is mostly centered on her relationship with Ryuko, and later on eclipses Ryuko herself as the series' primary heroine until the latter's comeback from being brainwashed at the end of episode 21. The creators even describe her as the other main character of the series.
Disc-One Final Boss: She's presented as Ryuko's direct opponent, but her mother is always looming in the background. In episode 17, she betrays her mother to reveal she's actually fighting to save humanity. This action removes her as a villain and leaves Ragyo as the main antagonist to be stopped.
Dual Wielding: Starting in episode 21, she fights using Gako and Koryu, the two blades that were made from Bakuzan's remains.
Easily Forgiven:
- Averted in Episode 22, where despite her actions being noble from the start, and risking her life to save Ryuko after the latter was brainwashed, Ryuko states that it doesn't excuse all of the things Satsuki's done before and it takes a heartfelt apology from her for Ryuko to forgive, and accept her as an ally and sister.
- Invoked in the OVA, when Hououmaru creates Life Fiber clones of her and the Elite Four, which are near-identical copies of the ruthless despots they once were.
Empowered Badass Normal: Bakuzan, which can cut Life Fibers, is still a threat to Senketsu when combined with Satsuki's swordsmanship and Junketsu's advanced abilities.
Enfant Terrible: Even in kindergarten, she was known for making profound Evil Overlord speeches.
Establishing Character Moment: Read the above quote. She says this while addressing the entire student body atop an impossibly massive school building.
Evil Overlord: Has the tone of this, as she plots to take over the world. This is revealed to be a ruse to trick Ragyo into thinking she was on their side.
Evil Versus Evil: Deconstructed. She maintains a ruse to trick her enemy into thinking she's on their side by destroying forces capable of defeating them. When she reveals her true colors, her crazy preparations are rapidly exhausted, whereupon she realizes she is unable to fight back without help from those she was stomping down for the sake of appearing subservient.
Expy: Of Hyo Imawano of the Rival Schools series to the point of practically being his Distaff Counterpart. Like Hyo, Satsuki is an katana-wielding, authoritarian high-school student who serves as the initial main antagonist in addition to being the sibling of one of the heroes. And like Hyo in the sequel, it's eventually revealed that she's only pretending to serve the Big Bad while secretly plotting their downfall. Granted, Hyo undergoes a Heel–Face Turn while Satsuki was Good All Along.
Fan Disservice: There are a few instances late in the series where she's completely naked. However, in most of those instances, she's either been physically or sexually abused, sometimes both, by her own mother.
Fatal Flaw: Pride. As she eventually admits later in the series, her manipulations and ruthlessness that were meant to create allies strong enough to help her against Ragyo, tended to create more disarray because she was stubborn in insisting her way was the best way to go about it. What's more, it didn't even work in the long run as she grossly underestimated Raygo and the Primordial Life Fibers who easily swatted Satsuki's (one-Star) forces down. As opposed to Nudist Beach who put up a fight despite have no Goku Uniforms to use.
Femme Fatalons: Has artificial toenails on her big toes made of the same material as Bakuzan so she can escape after being captured by her mother.
First-Name Basis:
- Her childhood friendship with Jakuzure is referenced when Satsuki uses her first name when they're alone.
- She also uses this on her mother in episode 18, a sign of gross disrespect in Japan, which is exactly what Satsuki meant it to be.
- By episode 22, she finally calls Ryuko solely by her first name, indicating her recognition of Ryuko as her little sister.
Foil: To Ryuko. Satsuki is a calm, wealthy and far-planning foe to Ryuko. On the other hand, Ryuko is Hot-Blooded, living Happily Adopted with the poor Mankanshoku family and is much more impulsive and rarely thinks consequences through. While Satsuki does care about people, she also tends to view them like pawns and is willing to make sacrifices to further her own goal. Ryuko values her bonds and will never abandon her friends and despite seeking Revenge throughout the show, she would never let her ambition out-take her relationships. Eventually, the two see acknowledge differences and similarities, leading to them forming the only alliance strong enough to stop Ragyo.
Freudian Excuse: It's implied that her mother's sexual abuse is the reason why she's so messed up.
Full-Frontal Assault: During episode 20, she escapes from her prison with just her toenails as weapons and cuts down a few COVERS Mooks while naked.
Full-Name Basis: Like Ryuko does with her, Satsuki addresses Ryuko by her full name. Until episode 21.
Godiva Hair: And not just her breasts, it's long enough to cover her butt and even crotch at one point.
Going Commando: As a member of Nudist Beach. She was also naked during her escape from the school.
Good All Along: In episode 17, she and all of Honnouji are actually good guys trying to stop the global take over and subjection of man by Life Fibers.
Good Hair, Evil Hair: Subverted. While she has the long, flowing hair you'd expect from a heroine, Satsuki is Ryuko's arch-rival. Double Subverted when she turns out to be Good All Along.
Good Is Not Nice: Shows no mercy in attaining her goal to kill Ragyo and free mankind from Life Fibers.
Hair Color Dissonance: She has black hair, but in some shots, it appears to be a very dark blue. It can be generally agreed upon that her hair possesses a dark blue tint.
Hair-Contrast Duo: Satsuki is a no-nonsense Lady of War with a black Hime Cut. Jakuzure is a Cute, but Cacophonic girl with bubblegum pink hair.
Hazy-Feel Turn: She always had her own agenda since the very beginning of the plot, it just took her seventeen episodes to get the perfect shot at Ragyo's back.
The Heavy: Satsuki acts as the villain for the first arc, with Ragyo a distant Greater-Scope Villain at the time. She routinely clashes with Ryuko, leading the dictatorship-like academy in her mother's stead. Despite this, her true goal is ultimately heroic and she loses this position once Ragyo comes down to step into the light.
Heel Realization: Even if her goals were noble, she apologizes to Ryuko when she realizes that treating people like pawns and manipulating Ryuko makes her no different than Ragyo.
Heroic Willpower: Invoked when she wears Junketsu. If episode 20 is any indication, Junketsu has been trying to Mind Rape her every time she activated it, or even every time she wore it. Despite this, she forced Junketsu to give her power and was able to fight Ryuko on equal terms.
Hime Cut: She has straight full bangs, bra strap length sidelocks, and thigh-length straight hair. She's fittingly the dignified heir of the Kiryuin Conglomerate. As a kindergartner, she wore the same hairstyle with her mid-back length sidelocks and hip-length hair.
Hitler Cam: Most if not all shots of her are angled upwards. Used to great effect in as she towers over Ryuko in episode 2 when she goes to strike her.
Hobbes Was Right: Her justification for her social darwinist views in the first half.
Holy Backlight: Every time she steps on top of the school, her mere existence can shoot out beams of light rays fiercer than the sun, and blinds all who are below her into submission. Her mother can do the same, but with a rainbow spectrum. Apparently, it is symbolic of her willpower: In the OVA, when Satsuki is despondent after having accomplished her life's goal, she loses the ability to do this, and when she regains her determination, she gets it back.
Hot-Blooded: When the situation calls for it, she proves that she can scream with the best of them.
Hypocrite:
- In middle school, she disparages two bullies who rely on their parents' positions and connections for their power. Gamagoori points out that she's doing exactly the same thing; she counters that unlike them, she truly owns her parents' power. It turns out that she's only doing this so that she can eventually rebel against her mother, making this something of a subversion.
- She spends a good three-quarters of the series lambasting Ryuko for having something as small-minded and self-centered as a revenge quest fueling her one-man war against her. Then she reveals to Ragyo that she originally started her rebellion plans when her father revealed what was done to her little sister and requested her to carry on his quest to stop Ragyo just before he was chased off by her. When Ragyo points out how petty that motivation is, Satsuki, without a modicum of irony or self-awareness, asserts that great causes and champions are fueled by personal desires. Of course, her original statement was made in public before witnesses, and she had a cover to maintain at the time, so whether she really believed it is suspect at best.
- Her Social Darwinist ideology doesn't apply to her friends. The Elite Four are badasses, true, but they can't hold a candle to Ryuko, and they all get stripped by her. Satsuki just gives them better uniforms when they lose, when any lesser student would be back to No-Star. She used the battles to train Ryuko up as well as catch weaknesses in the Elite Four's Goku uniforms, as the latter were completely with Satsuki in her true plan. At the end of the day, this ideology always came second to her goals if it interfered, and later she realizes that this ideology was wrong in the first place, making her no different than Ragyo.
I Did What I Had to Do: She feels that her actions as an Evil Overlord were completely necessary to get her to a point where she could kill her mother Ragyo. This is also her reasoning for not holding back when fighting her fellow students brainwashed to serve Ragyo in episode 18. It's ultimately subverted when she admits her actions were no better than her mother's in episode 22 and apologizes to Ryuko.
"I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Against Ryuko in episode 21. She puts her body through excessive strain to wear Senketsu to let him fight, since they both want to bring her back to her senses.
I Lied: In The Stinger of episode 12, Satsuki tells Ryuko she was the one who ordered Isshin's death. Late in the series, it's revealed she purposely lied to Ryuko to make sure she didn't try going after Nui until Ryuko was stronger.
Icy Blue Eyes: Always has a piercing stare that goes with her frown.
Important Haircut: Following Ragyo's defeat in the epilogue, she cuts her Hime Cut to a bob. Episode 25 reveals that this is to signify that she's graduated from Ragyo's influence as well as Honnouji Academy, and to even out her Close-Call Haircut in the same episode.
Iron Lady: Has a strong disposition and feared by most of the academy.
Katanas Are Just Better: Her sword can cause massive damage even if blocked, and can slice a Kamui without any Goku Uniform power boost. Subverted later on in Episode 18, however, as it is completely ineffective in killing her mother, despite the fact that Satsuki first impaled her, and then cut her head off. To add to this, Ragyo easily breaks the blade with nothing but her fists.
Kiai: A single shout of hers is enough to blow away 500 men.
Kick the Dog:
- In Episode 7, she goads Mako into fighting Ryuko with the promise of a Three-Star Goku Uniform and an even more luxurious life for her family if she defeats her best friend.
- Ultimately subverted. The only reason why she antagonized Ryuko is to help her get stronger, she was already sliding out of it when she declared her rebellion against her mother to avenge her little sister, and then it was put to bed once Ragyo saw Ryuko and revealed that she is said little sister.
Knight in Sour Armor: While she believes that Humans Are Bastards, she still declares that she fights for the sake of human freedom when she confronts Ragyo.
Lady of War: She has a composed and dignified demeanor when using Bakuzan, and is very calculating in battle. However, she breaks from standards with her monstrous physical strength.
Large Ham: As a general example, before she starts her dramatic speeches, she always slams down her heel, gives a very intimidating stare, and looks down at the masses with a powerful wind blowing her long hair.
Laser-Guided Karma: Embraces a social Darwinist philosophy, looks down on others, and controls the student body through fear and violence. When she finally makes her move, not only does she fail and wind up getting captured and tortured by Ragyo, she later ends up fighting a brainwashed Ryuko, who delivers a brutal Curb-Stomp Battle to Satsuki while subjecting her to the same verbal abuse Satsuki had so frequently inflicted on the no-star students. What makes this especially ironic is that Ryuko is the long lost sister for whom Satsuki committed so many sins in order to avenge.
Last-Name Basis: She calls her subordinates by their last names. The one exemption is Jakuzure when they share a tender moment.
Leitmotif: "鬼龍G@キLL",^noteKiryu ga Kill an overbearing, militaristic piece.
Light Is Not Good: Wears a bright white uniform. Runs several schools across the country like a fascist regime. But she turns to Light Is Good after episode 22, after her Heel–Face Turn and getting to wear Junketsu again.
Little Miss Badass: As a middle school student, she easily defeated both Sanageyama and Gamagoori in single combat.
Living Battery: Ragyo originally planned on having Satsuki be the power source for the kamui Shinra-Koketsu, a role that eventually went to Hououmaru. In episode 25, Hououmaru uses Satsuki as a means to power up Honnouji Academy's mecha form, and also kidnaps Mako as a spare battery.
Long Game: She's been building her power at Honnouji Academy for years, and has waited all this time to unleash the army she's built against her mother. Unfortunately, Ragyo and the COVERS turn it against her, and she later reflects that she was a fool to believe that she could fight her mother with the same methods as she.
Long-Lost Relative: She's eventually revealed to be Ryuko's long lost older sister.
Love Makes You Evil: Satsuki's devotion to her father is what drove her to become a despot.
Mad Scientist's Beautiful Daughter: Considering how her parents experimented on her and her little sister, she very much qualifies.
Male Gaze: Satsuki is older than Ryuko and therefore more developed. This is shown off by several camera shots focusing on her assets, mostly her rear as she seems to be inheriting her mother's hips.
Mirror Character:
- For all her speeches about her ambitions, when you discover her base motivation, it is really no different than Ryuko's: She wants revenge for her father and sister's death. Bonus points for the former being the same person, and the latter being Ryuko herself. Also, just as Ryuko must rely on True Companions like Mako and Senketsu, Satsuki admits to rely on the Elite Four as hers.
- For all the hatred she has for Ragyo and her actions, Satsuki's Heel Realization reveals that her ruthlessness and manipulation of others for the sake of her own revenge have effectively turned her into the same person as her mother.
The Mole: Episodes 17 and 18 reveal that she has always been planning to defeat her mother and stop the world take-over of the Life Fibers.
My Kung-Fu Is Stronger Than Yours: She may be miffed that Ryuko got to wear a Kamui before her, but she boasts being the first one to master its power.
Named Weapons: Bakuzan, which can mean "to cut one's ties".
Names to Run Away from Really Fast: "Kiryuin" contains the characters for "demon", "dragon", and "ex-empress", all three of which aptly describe her.
Necessarily Evil: Satsuki will execute anyone who opposes her and runs Honnouji Academy like a dictatorship in general. However, her interactions with the Elite Four imply that there is an Anti-Villain hiding under the ruthless things she does. She shows this to be true in episode 17 when she reveals she has been taking a Social Darwinist stance so that her students will be strong enough to stand up against her mother, who is trying to destroy the world.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: She destroys Nudist Beach and Osaka on the pretext that any group which cannot defeat her Life Fiber-enhanced army would be useless against Ragyo and COVERS. As it turns out in episode 18, her much-vaunted One-Stars are defeated without firing a shot, in less than a minute. The crippled remnants of Nudist Beach, meanwhile, remain combat-effective a whole month later, because of her mother's Absolute Submission being able to possess Life Fibers. Evidently, someone didn't think her plan all the way through.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Her less than ethical actions are met with no severe consequences during the first part of the series. On the other hand, her rebellion against Ragyo gets her beaten to a pulp, held prisoner and molested for a month. Even if she did already see that last part coming and deliberately stayed a prisoner.
Noble Demon:
- Even though she views weaklings as the lowest form of scum that need to be ruled by the strong, such as herself, she is shown to admire and respect people with ambition (such as Inumuta and Jakuzure) and determination (such as Gamagoori and Sanageyama) and rewards them as she sees fit. She even goes as far as giving second chances, like allowing Sanageyama to have a rematch with Ryuko after he sews his eyes shut or stopping Gamagoori from committing seppuku after he loses to Ryuko. In fact, she goes out of her way to protect Mako from Nui while the former attempts a Cooldown Hug on a rampaging Ryuko, and compliments her when she succeeds.
- Later, after Senketsu is destroyed by Nui, Satsuki has the courtesy of not only sparing Ryuko when she's practically at her whim, but after collecting most of Senketsu's remains, Satsuki allows Ryuko to keep a single piece despite presumably knowing the risks of an empowered Ryuko once again, and the fact that she could simply take it as well for the sake of removing both a threat and amplifying her regime's power.
- Ryuko counts on this when she gives Satsuki her sword back in Osaka, knowing Satsuki isn't so petty that she'll break her promises as soon as she has an advantage.
Not So Above It All: She believes that as long as her intentions are pure, she is willing to put aside her pride to wear Junketsu's Stripperiffic full-powered form.
Not So Stoic: It says a lot in Episode 17 that we get see her we see her visibly enraged, when she stabs Ragyo. To say nothing about in Episode 24, after seeing Ryuko falling from orbit after Senketsu's sacrifice, she runs at breakneck speed and screams at the top of her lungs to catch her younger sister.
O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- It really shows just how much strain Junketsu puts on Satsuki in episode 16. Satsuki who up until this point was always confident, grim-faced and absolutely unwavering looks like a lost, hurt little girl for a moment after taking Junketsu off.
- Her demeanor as she begins her rebellion against Ragyo is also notable. While her baseline emotional state is rather intense, she is still extremely composed and would at most show contempt for an opponent. The sheer depth of rage and hatred she shows Ragyo is incredible.
- Shows probably her greatest loss of composure verging on genuine fear when Senketsu is sheared apart by Ryuko.
- The ending, where she screams at the top of her lungs while running as fast as she can to catch her free-falling sister, Ryuko.
Ojou: She is the dignified heir of the Kiryuin Conglomerate. She's treated like royalty by the student body as well as the faculty since she rules over Honnōji Academy with an iron fist as president of the Absurdly Powerful Student Council.
One-Woman Army: She can blow away dozens if not hundreds of opponents with her willpower alone. And that's without Junketsu's power.
Pay Evil unto Evil: Subverted. She rams her sword straight into Ragyo as retribution for all the crap she's done, but unfortunately for her, Ragyo isn't fazed in the slightest.
- In fact, the same episode has Satsuki on the wrong end of this to the point it's a Deconstructed Trope. Ragyo's vicious No-Holds-Barred Beatdown and Cold-Blooded Torture of her is everything Satsuki did to the No Star students. But Ragyo goes so far it's hard not to feel sympathy for Satsuki, and that's before the entire story comes out.
Perpetual Frowner: Wears a stern expression at almost all times. Until episode 22, where her expression softens up quite a bit.
Pet the Dog:
- When Sanageyama decides to fight Ryuko, he tells Satsuki to invite him for tea after he wins. Even though she made no such promise, she still honors it after he beats Ryuko. By that point, however, Sanageyama can sadly no longer enjoy hot beverages.
- We get one of the first indications that Satsuki isn't as bad as she pretends to be during Gamagoori's flashback when she saves a helpless student from bullies and ruthlessly punishes said bullies.
- When Gamagoori loses to Ryuko during the Naturals Election, she stops his attempt at suicide.
- After Nui destroys Senketsu, Satsuki forces her to leave Ryuko alive, then leaves Ryuko covered in a blanket and with one remaining piece of Senketsu.
Please Kill Me if It Satisfies You: She says a variation of this so much it's practically her catchphrase. Most of the time it's more of a "If you think I'm wrong, then take my head" dare than actual sincerity, though she does mean it. In episode 25, while at a loss of what to do with herself after Ragyo's defeat, Satsuki sincerely tells Hououmaru to just kill her and be done with her revenge. Luckily, Ryuko indirectly gives her a wake up call. By the end of the OVA, she is back to her old ways of using this.
Power Hair: Inverted. She's the Iron Lady of Honnouji Academy, but she has a Hime Cut in contrast to Ryuko's Boyish Short Hair.
President Evil: President is in her official title, she's the main antagonist for the first half of the series, and based on how Honnouji Academy and Honnou Town is operated, it's basically a city-state under her iron fist.
Privileged Rival: Satsuki, most certainly and most definitively, against the lifestyles of Ryuko and Mako: the Elite Four easily slide a single step below her in opulence, but possibly a step above her in terms of rivalry - with Ryuko, in particular.
Pure Is Not Good: Her Kamui's name is Junketsu, which means "purity," and she talks about her actions being "utterly pure." Ryuko lampshades this:
Ryuko: Is there anything about you that's pure?
Putting on the Reich: She runs the school in a way eerily similar to social Darwinist fascist dictatorships. This is justified in that she needs to raise an army in order to have hardened fighters stand up to her mother.
Rape as Backstory: Satsuki is subjected to repeated sexual abuse by her mother, and it is heavily implied that it has been going on since childhood.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She has pale skin and long, jet black hair. She's considered quite beautiful among the students, but of course they're probably too afraid of her to say anything. Takarada outright calls her a "babe".
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: As if being constantly on the end of Curb-Stomp Battles lately wasn't enough, she is subject to lengthy speeches about how she is nowhere near as strong as she thinks she is, basically saying she is all talk. The fact that she was unable to use Junketsu or any Kamui to its full potential is constantly brought up as proof of how weak and pathetic she is. Luckily, her friends tend to be more pissed about these speeches than she is.
Red Herring: Viewers thinking she was Isshin's murderer, particularly since she never denies it, were completely thrown off guard by episode 11. Not helping matters is that the silhouette of the murderer looks more and more like her in Ryuko's flashbacks, though the real killer looks closer to the silhouette in the first episode.
Red Oni, Blue Oni:
- The cool, cultured Blue Oni to Ryuko's Red Oni. Her Kamui even has blue highlights where Ryuko's has red. This being a World of Ham, however, she's prone to her own bouts of Hot-Blooded-ness.
- In episode 17, it's revealed she is definitively the Blue Oni to Ryuko's Red, since she made herself the bad guy to help the Red Oni, just like the original Japanese folktale.
Reluctant Fanservice Girl: Deconstructed since she is aware that her mother is trying to exploit her modesty to take control of her. She appears uncomfortable while waiting at the grand bath and does not dignify Tsumugu with a response after he asks her to get naked. Regardless, she never allows herself to blush from embarrassment until after Ragyo and the Life Fibers are destroyed for good.
The Reveal: After seventeen episodes, it turns out she has been preparing for thirteen years in order to fight her mother and destroy the Life Fibers.
Revenge: Essentially her motivation for starting a rebellion against her mother:
Satsuki: Ragyo Kiryuin! You shall pay for taking the lives of my father Soichiro, and my little sister who was never even given a name!
The Rich Have White Stuff: She has a Kamui called Junketsu, which is so white it's referred to as a wedding dress. She is also the heiress of the REVOVS MegaCorp, and her mother Ragyo (the current CEO) also wears a white and silver dress. The white Kamui contrasts with Senketsu, who is the Kamui of the apparently poor Ryuko Matoi and is colored a blueish-black.
The Rival: To Ryuko; they're mortal enemies, but there's still a sense of grudging, mutual respect for each other's strength between them. Until episode 22, when they befriend each other and acknowledge each other as sisters.
Say My Name: Often exchanges this with Ryuko, be it Full-Name Basis at first or First-Name Basis in the last episodes.
School Clubs Are Serious Business: Satsuki is the Student Council President so she uses school clubs to control the masses by offering them social mobility. Since she's effectively running a fascist state inside Honnouji Academy, she also turns the student clubs against each other whenever she thinks they're becoming too complacent.
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!:
- Subverted; while she does have her mother's influence to thank for her position, she exploits and absorbs their power to use as her own rather than leech off of it.
- And then in episode 17, it's revealed that she's been doing this simply to gather enough strength to outright declare open rebellion against her mother and REVOCS/COVERS.
Shameful Strip: After failing to rebel against her mother and being captured because of it, Ragyo has hung Satsuki in a cage by her arms, naked. Then Ragyo manages to make the scene even more disturbing by groping her and spanking her ass repeatedly.
Shameless Fanservice Girl: Unlike Ryuko, she immediately and fully embraces her Kamui's revealing form as a symbol of her mastery over its full power. It is later implied that she has been repressing the feeling of shame from a very young age, possibly to endure sexual abuse from her mother. This is lampshaded during a seemingly unnecessary scene in episode 16, where Ragyo points out that Satsuki has been resisting her natural inclination to cover herself. She forces herself through copious amounts of humiliation and indecent exposure, even allowing her mother to molest her in the bath, all to prevent Life Fibers from consuming her free will. In the closing credits, after the Life Fibers are destroyed, Satsuki dresses modestly on her own accord and is shown to be shy and easily-embarrassed.
She Who Fights Monsters: Her drive to kill Ragyo turned her into the same kind of despot as her mother.
Shear Menace: After Bakuzan Gako and Koryu are destroyed by Ragyo, Ryuko lends Satsuki one of her Scissor Blades.
Sheath Strike: One delivered to the diaphragm is her favorite method of taking down opponents non-lethally.
Shoulders of Doom: Junketsu gives her massive shoulder spikes that serve as her outfit's eyes.
Shut Up, Hannibal!: She cranks a spectacular example of this against Ragyo in episode 17.
Skeletons in the Coat Closet: When in her transformed state, she looks like a giant white hannya mask, with the fins as horns.
So What Do We Do Now?: With Ragyo dead, she's lost the purpose that has defined most of her life, as shown in the OVA: Sanageyama describes her as seeming empty, and she's lost her backlight. A major theme of the episode is whether she'll be able to sheathe her sword, or go on after she does so.
The Social Darwinist: She arranges the Student Council based on their strength and superiority over other students. She even holds a "Naturals Election"^note after rooting all undesirable students out of her system. This makes perfect sense when you consider that the academy wasn't a school, but a training ground for an army. Weak people in an army are just cannon fodder, and discipline has to be stricter than you would expect for a mere high school. It also causes problems for her. While she produces several exceptional fighters, she also destroys and discards the people, like Nudist Beach, who provide a supporting role to the front-line heroes, forcing the survivors to essentially fight the war against Ragyo using plans and resources that are only kept together by heroism and duct tape.
Spikes of Villainy: Employed as a weapon; Junketsu's shoulder fins can become drill-shaped blades.
Spiritual Antithesis: To Stocking Anarchy. Both are long-haired swordfighters who have a rivalry with the other main character and their sister. The difference is that Satsuki is a noble Anti-Villain who was Good All Along and ends up in a loving relationship with her sister, while Stocking is an Anti-Hero bordering on Villain Protagonist who was Evil All Along and kills her sister in cold blood.
The Starscream: Playing as The Heavy for much of the series, Satsuki eventually betrays Ragyo, letting her mother take the reigns as Big Bad proper while she helps humanity fight against the Life Fibers.
Statuesque Stunner: Her exact height varies from scene to scene, but Satsuki's easily one of the tallest women in the show, and towers over Ryuko by at least a foot.
Stealth Mentor: Was one to Ryuko and Nudist Beach all along. All the fights and hardships she heaped on her opponents were aimed at making them strong enough to help her in a fight against Ragyo. It's subverted, however, as she overdid it with the damage she has done to Nudist Beach and actually weakened them which bit her in the ass later on.
The Stoic: Most of the time, unless she's fighting or making a speech.
Stripperiffic: She shows quite a bit of skin while wearing an activated Junketsu. Unlike Ryuko, she is quick to get used to the outfit.
Strong Family Resemblance: She has her mother's sharp facial features, eye shape, and Big Ol' Eyebrows. And at the ending, after Ragyo has been defeated for good, she's cut her hair and is shown to highly resemble her sister, Ryuko.
Student Council President: Exaggerated. Not only is she in charge of the school, effectively outranking the principal, but has also dominated countless other schools across the country.
Sugar-and-Ice Personality: She acts cool, distant and arrogant in public, staying in control of her emotions at all times, but allows herself to smile and relax a bit more among the select few she genuinely trusts and respects.
Swipe Your Blade Off: She does this very fast after she all but decapitates Ragyo in episode 18.
Sword Plant: Her default position, spoofed by Mako (with an invisible sword) during her rant in episode 3.
Take Over the World: Her ultimate goal. Or so she wants everyone to think.
Tea Is Classy: Satsuki, being the heiress of the REVOCS Corporation and the mastermind of Honnouji Academy and the Absurdly Powerful Student Council that runs it, often has her butler have a pot of tea at the ready for when she relaxes. All throughout the series, she compliments her butler for the deliciousness of the tea, but near the end of the series, reveals that she really doesn't think it's all that special, but continued to compliment her butler for the sake of it.
Tears of Joy: Never actually happens, but referenced in one of the Drama CDs:
Hououmaru: Nonsense. You will never win. That day will never come, no matter how much you cry or scream. You won’t escape your fate of becoming a sacrifice to the Life Fibers.
Satsuki: I will not cry or scream. I will save my tears for the day I win.
Technician Versus Performer: The Technician to Ryuko's Performer. Satsuki has been training with a sword all her life, and relies on her skill to keep up with the power creep in later episodes. Junketsu doesn't even get upgraded until the final fight.
Third-Person Person: Refers to herself by her full name quite a lot, usually when making a Badass Boast.
Thong of Shielding: Again, absolutely literal. Junketsu's released form most closely resembles a sling bikini.
Today Japan, Tomorrow the World: She has much of Japan in her grasp already. Once her takeover is complete, she can focus on conquering the rest of the world.
Took a Level in Kindness: By the end of the series, she acts a lot nicer towards the people around her, because she started seeing them as friends rather than soldiers.
Transformation Sequence: Very much like Ryuko's.
Übermensch: She initially scoffs at society's petty standards of morality (and indecent exposure), though she later admits she was wrong for following this philosophy.
The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Subverted. Soichiro Kiryuin changed his appearance after leaving her behind.
The Un-Favorite: After she's been captured, Ragyo tries to convince her of this by saying that Soichiro didn't trust her to fulfill his goals which is why he secretly raised Ryuko and gave her Senketsu and the Rending Scissors. Satsuki just ignores her. Ragyo herself considers Satsuki this after she betrays and stabs her in the back and after she discovers Ryuko is her other daughter, who has bonded with Life Fibers.
The Unchosen One: Possibly. She exerts great effort in wearing Junketsu and uses the phrase "Life Fiber Override" when she transforms. According to Ragyo, she is unfit to even wear a Kamui and thus only forces Junketsu to cooperate with her. While impressive, Ragyo points out that her strength while wearing Junketsu pales in comparison to those who have bonded with Life Fibers such as herself and Ryuko. Likewise, when she wears Senketsu, Satsuki can't synchronize with him the way Ryuko does and has to call her attacks so that Senketsu will even know what to do. While that's initially not obvious to the viewers (Ryuko always called her attacks too, as that's just the kind of series this is), the Brainwashed and Crazy Ryuko then points out that having to call an attack before using it instead of while using it delays her attacks long enough to render them ineffective.
Underestimating Badassery: Ragyo tends to do this a lot since Satsuki isn't as strong as Ryuko, which bites her in the ass a couple times.
The Unfettered: She will do anything and, if need be, go through anyone in order to achieve her goals. As she bluntly puts it, even if she has to be naked, if it serves a purpose in achieving her goals, then she doesn't really give a damn.
Unscrupulous Hero: Satsuki has fundamentally good goals, but at first, she's not really a good person. She holds to a fascist ideology of fear, subjugation, contradiction and Social Darwinism, which she ruthlessly imposes on her underlings, Honnoji Academy and the rest of Japan by force of arms, because that's what she thinks it will take to bring down her mother and save the world. Enemies are to be destroyed if weak, or co-opted if strong. After fighting Ryuko, however, she admits that she was wrong to just use people like that.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: She discussed this with Soroi, musing that she used to hold back her opinion on how bitter Soroi made her tea, but it grew on her since he made it. Soroi apologizes for not knowing she was just humoring him, with Satsuki claiming it's fine, and that she must have been a more kind-hearted girl back then.
Vapor Wear: Played with. Like Ryuko, when Junketsu is forcibly removed, she is shown to be wearing a sensible bra and panties.
Villainous Friendship: With Jakuzure, whom she's known since kindergarten:
Jakuzure: Just you watch, I'll catch up to her in no time!
Satsuki: Perhaps, but like this, you cannot get a higher eye level than mine. Can you, Nonon?
Jakuzure: Don't be silly.
Villainous Rescue: After Nui Harime destroys Senketsu and is about to deal the killing blow to Ryuko, she intervenes immediately before driving her off with a blatant death threat hanging over her head.
Visionary Villain: She's basically Raoh and Lordgenome in a school setting. To her, strength is the only virtue and the foundation of the school system she runs. Weakness is to be loathed, and weaklings to be pruned.
Wall Run: She once walked briskly up a building whilst wearing an activated Junketsu.
Weak, but Skilled: She's nowhere near as strong as Ragyo or a fully synced Ryuko, but what she lacks in strength she more than makes up for in tenacity and cunning.
When She Smiles: Most of time, she seems stern (which makes sense considering her motivations and past), but when she finally came to understand her friendship with the Elite Four, and that she has her sister Ryuko with her against their mother, we get to see a really heartwarming smile.
Wicked Cultured: Seems fond of sipping tea, and has a butler. Subverted after her Heel–Face Turn, when she drinks tea and eats croquettes with Nudist Beach.
Wise Beyond Their Years: She's had her totalitarian mindset since kindergarten.
The Worf Effect: Her beatdown at the hands of Ragyo serves to show how powerful her mother really is.
Wrecked Weapon: Bakuzan literally snaps in half when Ragyo blocks it with her fist. Bakuzan's pieces were later remade into a dagger and a sword named Gako and Koryu respectively. Both weapons are destroyed by Ragyo again in episode 24.
Xanatos Gambit: Being an Machiavellian-style tactical genius, she excels at executing these on a regular basis:
- Her plot in episode 7, in which she permits Ryuko to start her own club to fight the other club presidents, ends with her able to weed out dozens of weaklings and gain an excuse to rebuild and fortify her system with a "Naturals Election". Even if that failed, it still would have ended with Ryuko being either destroyed or integrated into the system, and the one to cause it would have proven to be a worthy addition to the Student Council's inner circle.
- Episode 12 reveals another one: by pitting the students of Honnouji Academy against each other during the Naturals Election, and later having Ryuko fight the Elite Four, she was able to assess any weaknesses in their Goku Uniforms. Even though Ryuko beat her inner circle, she now possesses an upgraded arsenal capable of taking over Japan.
- Pulls yet another in episode 15. Though her armies are forced to withdraw from the Kansai region thanks to Ryuko's efforts, she uses the duel as a distraction for Jakuzure to locate and destroy the hidden Nudist Beach command center. The destruction of either location pleases her. Her enemies are left in a significantly weaker position, and the respite is much more beneficial for her to regroup and rebuild.
Xanatos Speed Chess: At several point in the story, she was forced to revise her plans in a hurry:
- In episode 12, after Nui appeared and revealed that it was actually her who killed Ryuko's father. she confronted Ryuko and outright said that it was actually her who sent Nui after Isshin, which was a lie to keep Ryuko from going after Nui.
- In episode 13, after Nui destroys Senketsu she uses the opportunity in two different ways. Firstly she hands out the pieces of Senketsu to her soldiers to give them a power up and gather data. Secondly she gives Ryuko an opportunity to train herself up by reclaiming the stolen pieces. The former actually helps her start her invasion, thus causing the major part of the Darkest Hour.
- In episode 17, there is no indication that she knew of the existence of the Primordial Life Fiber, but when it was revealed to her she quickly adjusted her plans by sending Iori and a Sewing Club Strike force to Kiryuin Manor to destroy the Primordial Life Fiber and COVERS.
You Killed My Father: She's out for vengeance against Ragyo for having murdered her father and younger sister, although the latter turns out to be a bad assumption.
Zero-Approval Gambit: Invokes being a Hate Sink In-Universe to make sure Ryuko's attention stays on her, going so far as to lie about her involvement with Isshin's death. She also tends to tell people it's fine when they insult or say they hate her since that's how she wants it.

Senketsu

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), David Vincent (English)^{Foreign VAs}

"Don't leave! Put me on! Put me on! I don't want to go back to sleep!"

After suffering a crushing defeat by the Student Council, Ryuko finds this living Sailor Fuku beneath her house. Named Senketsu^note"Fresh Blood" by Ryuko, he is a garment known as a Kamui^note"God Robe" that grants its wearer phenomenal abilities in exchange for their blood. He was made by Ryuko's father Isshin, though he doesn't remember much more than that.

11th-Hour Superpower: Senketsu-Kisaragi, where he gains the combined power of every student's uniform before he and Ryuko leave to face Ragyo for the final time.
Adaptive Ability: During the King of the Hill Final Battle, Senketsu demonstrates the ability to evolve to counteract each of the Elite Four's tricks: for Gamagoori's binds, he sprouts blades to shred them; for Inumuta's invisibility, he turns into a massive eye so Ryuko can pull an Area of Effect attack to hit him; and for Jakuzure's flying tank, he turns into a jump jet.
Adaptive Armor: Grants power to Satsuki, albeit stunted.
Always Chaotic Evil: Averted. Senketsu is the only Kamui seen thus far who isn't as malevolent as they are believed to be, especially when compared to the likes of Junketsu, who is pretty much feral, and the Kamui that devoured Kinue. It is later revealed that the trope is played straight in regards to Life Fibers, and the only reason Senketsu is not a feral beast is that of genetic tampering.
Always with You: Acknowledged multiple times and outright confirmed towards the end of the OVA, as Senketsu is able to come back and aid Ryuko momentarily just by willing him to be there despite his apparent death.
Blade Below the Shoulder: At the end of Episode 15, he demonstrates the ability to merge his Wolverine Claws into this when Ryuko drops her Scissor.
Blood Lust: He feeds on Ryuko's blood to keep himself awake. This thirst becomes more intense the more he's starved, driving him to force himself on Ryuko during their first encounter after he tastes her blood for the first time in years. After getting to know Ryuko, he tries to keep this bloodlust under control. Episode 12 shows what happens if he's overfed blood with too much rage and he fails to keep control, and the results are not pretty.
Blood Oath: Of a sort with Ryuko, seeing as they are True Companions and he needs to drink her blood to activate.
Blue-and-Orange Morality: Being a sapient outfit, he has an odd sense of insults and compliments, being very hurt when called ugly, and bursting into tears of joy when Ryuko says he's warm and comfortable.
Body Horror: During Episode 12, when Ryuko's Unstoppable Rage at Nui completely overwhelms him, he transforms into a screaming behemoth form of his original consumption transformation sequence. The monstrosity he and Ryuko become would look right in place with The Thing or screaming beside a berserking Unit-01.
Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: He winds up disintegrating shortly after the final battle with Ragyo, when he'd already been overloaded with Shinra Koketsu's Life Fibers and had to get Ryuko safely back to Earth in a Heroic Sacrifice.
Brutal Honesty: He lectures Ryuko on everything, from her impulsiveness to her BMI.
Butt-Monkey: A lot less than Ryuko, but is subject to this by those who don't realize he's alive, especially when put through the wash.
Chainmail Bikini: When activated, Senketsu exposes Ryuko's entire torso, with gratuitous Underboobs, and comes with a Thong of Shielding, yet it somehow shields her from almost any attack—including ones intentionally aimed at the uncovered areas. Since he's derived from a race of parasites, reducing the contact area with him minimizes the risk that he will mentally overwhelm the wearer.
Characterization Marches On: Is introduced with an attitude similar to that of a feral creature, jumping onto Ryuko when he tastes her blood. Afterward, he becomes much calmer. Presumably a result of hunger awakening his feral Life Fiber instincts of which we get another, much darker glance in Episode 12.
Custom Uniform: Episode 16 revealed that Isshin made him specifically for Ryuko to use.
Dark Is Not Evil: On the flipside of the Light Is Not Good aesthetics of the villains of this series, he and his wearer Ryuko juxtapose this.
Death by Irony: Spends the first three episodes taking too much of Ryuko's blood. He finally bites the dust when he absorbs too many Life Fibers to handle.
Death of a Thousand Cuts: Falls victim to this at the hands of Nui Harime when she plays a disguised Wounded Gazelle Gambit to corner Ryuko.
Detachment Combat: He's a two-piece uniform, so he splits to avoid Nui's attack in Episode 22.
Detect Evil: Senketsu somehow sensed that Junketsu was donned by Satsuki and got something like "goosebumps". Presumably he still has some kind of limited access to the Life Fibers' hive mind despite being tamed.
Deus Exit Machina: Played for Laughs in Episode 4 when he's forced to be cleaned while Ryuko has to endure the obstacle course without him.
Disney Death: He, at one point, ends up sliced up into dozens of pieces, though Ryuko is able to put him back together.
Embarrassing but Empowering Outfit: The kind of outfit he is when he's worn. Despite how Stripperiffic he makes Ryuko look, he acts as strength-enhancing armor and grants Ryuko even more abilities once she learns to accept his skimpy design.
Empathic Weapon: Usually only acts as strength-enhancing armor for Ryuko, but becomes a weapon himself when using Senketsu Senjin.
Everyone Has Standards: He refuses to let Maiko Ogure wear him, despite the latter having absolutely no shame, a vital requirement for working with him. He even ejects Maiko's blood from his system when he's finally undone from her.
Evolving Weapon: He's apparently evolving too fast, according to Aikuro.
Eyepatch of Power: His right eye is covered with a scarred patch. The eye underneath is either restored or uncovered when he's given enough Life Fibers to enter his super mode.
Frilly Upgrade: Inverted; he becomes more jagged-looking when Ryuko finally embraces his skimpy design. This becomes more prominent in his Senketsu Senjin mode, covering his whole body in spikes.
Giant Eye of Doom: In Episode 10, he stretches his eye to expand the entire battle arena just so Ryuko can have a chance to hit Inumuta while he's invisible.
Half-Human Hybrid: He is actually the same as Ryuko but in clothing rather than human form. He is neither human nor clothing but both at the same time. This is what allows him to overcome the control Shinra Koketsu has over all the Life Fibers.
Heroic BSoD:
- He gets a minor one when he learns the truth of Life Fibers origin and what the Life Fibers do to humans.
- He falls into it again when Ryuko declares she would never wear him again at the end of Episode 19.
Heroic Sacrifice: During the finale, Senketsu ultimately sacrifices himself to save Ryuko from burning up upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere after the final battle.
Honest Advisor: A very blunt one at that.
Senketsu: Ryuko, I feel I should warn you. Your opponent is more powerful than you are.
Ryuko: Gee, thanks for your concern.
Hot-Blooded: He's normally cool and collected in battle, but gets this way whenever he craves blood.
Hunter of His Own Kind: As it turns out, the Life Fibers that he was created to fight against are living beings, making him unwittingly this for the first fifteen episodes.
I Am Not a Gun: A variation. He doesn't object to Nudist Beach's demand that he become their trump card against the Kiryuins, but Ryuko does. After all, Ryuko doesn't want him to fight his own kin, the sentient Life Fiber aliens.
I'm a Humanitarian: With the reveal that Life Fibers are actually aliens it turns out that Senketsu is a cannibal and has been eating his own kind through the entire series.
Inelegant Blubbering: He gets very emotional when it comes to family and friendships.
Invisible to Normals: Downplayed; he can clearly be seen by everyone and a select few other than Ryuko know he's alive, but for some reason, only Ryuko, and briefly Tsumugu, can hear his voice. Later on, another person becomes able to hear him: Satsuki.
Jump Jet Pack: Has thrusters to help propel Ryuko forward in battle.
Laser-Guided Amnesia: He can't remember anything about himself, except his function and the exact description of his creator.
Leitmotif: "Suck your blood". The lyrics refer to skimpy clothes, drinking blood, and "becoming one" to achieve greater power.
Literally Shattered Lives: He's cut into dozens of square sheets of cloth by Nui, though the part that Ryuko holds on to at least is still completely sentient.
Living Weapon: Senketsu functions as Ryuko's friend, mentor, armor, and weapon - all in one!
Luminescent Blush: When Mako cuddles him in Episode 20.
Manly Tears: Despite being generally a serious-minded character (and, you know, an article of clothing), he is not afraid to shed these when genuinely moved by something.
Meaningful Name: His name means "fresh blood", which he must drink from Ryuko to stay active. Ryuko named him for this very reason. His final form, Kisaragi, takes its name from the old word for February, which literally means "wear more clothes" or "change clothes for the season". Which is exactly what he's doing, with both meanings.
Morality Chain: Both him and Mako take turns taking Ryuko out of her shell — he acts as a teacher/big brother figure for her.
Motor Mouth: Not normally, but at the beginning of Episode 16, he recounts the prior events of the series at an incredible speed.
New Powers as the Plot Demands: He starts cranking out new forms to fight the Elite Four during the King of the Hill Final Battle. Aikuro and Tsumugu imply that this isn't a good thing, and they're right. Eventually, both he and Ryuko lose their way and turn into a monster.
Nigh-Invulnerable: He turns his wearer's entire body as hard as steel, even the parts he doesn't cover.
The Not-Love Interest: Along with Mako, Ryuko's bond with Senketsu is one of the cores of the series.
Not Quite Dead: In Episode 14, it's revealed he still lives in the one fragment Ryuko has.
Ocular Gushers: In Episode 22, and even Ryuko lampshades how a piece of clothing is crying.
The One Guy: He's important due to his relationship with Ryuko.
Only Sane Man: As he's mostly defined by his relationship with Ryuko, this makes one of the more normal characters in the series.
Our Vampires Are Different: He forms a symbiotic relationship with Ryuko where she lets him drink her blood in exchange for power.
Parental Substitute: Nags, lectures, and worries for Ryuko like a real parent would. Made all the more tearjerking and heartwarming when he finally sacrifices himself, while telling Ryuko that she's "free to wear what she likes" and that every girl "grows out of her school uniform eventually".
Platonic Life-Partners: His and Ryuko's love toward each other is presented as purely platonic, with it playing a significant role throughout the series.
Power at a Price: He needs a constant stream of blood to keep powering up the user; using his powers for too long will make the user faint. This stops being a problem when Ryuko starts to take pride in her body and stops being embarrassed by Senketsu's skimpiness; after that, a small blood sample is enough to keep him sustained.
Power Copying: He learns to take multiple forms simply by watching Gamagoori do the same with his uniform; by his reasoning, it's unthinkable a Kamui can't do anything a Three-Star uniform can.
Power Gives You Wings: When in Senketsu Shippu mode.
Red and Black and Evil All Over: Inverted. Despite having an intimidating black and red color scheme, he is not evil and in fact is the only truly good Life Fiber outfit as a result of having human DNA infused into him. This of course contrasts the various villains all having Light Is Not Good aesthetics, with Satsuki's pristine white uniforms denoting her as a force for Order, Nui's frilly pink lolita clothes belying her inner vileness, and Ragyo, who additionally strongly inverts Everything's Better with Rainbows as the underside of her hair is technicolored.
Red Oni, Blue Oni: The calm and analytical blue oni to Ryuko's red oni.
Rocket Boots: When in Senketsu Shippu mode.
Sailor Fuku: A living, talking one, no less; he takes the form of a Japanese girl's sailor uniform when not in combat mode.
Satellite Character: He's pretty much defined by his Undying Loyalty towards Ryuko. This, however, is what makes him such a compelling character. Ryuko is the only one who can hear his voice, and her father created him to be used primarily by her in the first place.
Scarf of Asskicking: All that's left of him after Episode 13, until Ryuko puts him back together in Episode 15.
Shapeshifter Baggage: Several of his more advanced forms, namely his Giant Eye of Doom, are much bigger than they should be.
Sharing a Body: A variation; he fuses with Ryuko whenever she activates him.
Smoke Out: His awakened form has vents that let off clouds of steam, which he can use to help Ryuko escape.
Super Mode: Senketsu-Kisaragi.
Super-Power Meltdown: The functional effect of Senketsu losing control and attempting to consume Ryuko. So far he's only done it when her blood became so red-hot that he couldn't resist taking it any longer.
The Symbiote: Whereas most Life Fiber uniforms seem to be parasites, Senketsu is firmly on the Mutual side of the spectrum. He and Ryuko care for each other deeply and both benefit from their relationship.
Taking the Bullet:
- A non-fatal variant occurs in Episode 5 when he does this for Ryuko against Tsumugu so he would target him and leave her alone.
- A nearly fatal example occurs in Episode 21 when Senketsu takes a attack from Nui meant to kill Mako, which misses him, and then again when Mako goes into Ryuko to disentangle her and Junketsu's Life Fibers, this time actually suffering damage.
- Finally, he takes a fatal version in Episode 24. In true over-the-top Trigger fashion, he does so by shielding Ryuko from the heat of re-entry.
This Is a Drill: He turns his entire body into one as a surprise attack against Ragyo.
Token Non-Human: He's the only known Sailor Fuku to have the ability to talk.
Tomato in the Mirror: While he's surprisingly blasé about finding out he's an alien, Senketsu is truly horrified discovering Life Fibers see humans as food, and nearly has a Heroic BSoD when he realizes he's been doing the same to Ryuko.
Undying Loyalty: Despite his constant lectures, he is very devoted to Ryuko and genuinely cares about her well-being:
- In Episode 4, when the Head of Trap Development puts him on to use against Ryuko, he stiffens up to keep his unwanted wearer from attacking. He then spits out the blood when he's taken off, earning him a thank you from Ryuko for not "cheating" on her.
- In Episode 5, he leaps off of Ryuko to take the bullet for her against Tsumugu, and then threatens him into backing off. This act of loyalty causes Ryuko to see him as a friend and not just an outfit.
- In Episode 12, Senketsu sees through Nui's ploy to exploit Ryuko's Roaring Rampage of Revenge against them by causing him to lose control and go into a blood rage due to Ryuko's intensified emotions almost immediately, and repeatedly tries to dissuade Ryuko for her sake. The second that they are brought back to normal by Mako, Senketsu's thoughts are immediately on Ryuko's welfare.
- In Episode 13, it's revealed that it wasn't Senketsu who took control of Ryuko but rather Ryuko overpowering and absorbing Senketsu's consciousness into herself when she had her Heroic RRoD, causing Senketsu extreme agony which Ryuko described as him crying. Despite this, Senketsu not only shows no fear of this happening if Ryuko berserks again, but he would rather aid Ryuko in realizing her desires even if he has to suffer along the way.
Wolverine Claws: Protrudes these for Ryuko's use when in Senketsu Senjin mode.
Your Size May Vary: When thrown by Mako in order to break Ryuko free from Junketsu's control, he becomes uncharacteristically large.

Mako Mankanshoku

Voiced by: Aya Suzaki (Japanese), Christine Marie Cabanos (English)^{Foreign VAs}

"...And everybody knows that if you win at friendship, you win at life!"

A second-year No-Star student at Honnouji Academy who becomes Ryuko's best, and only, friend as soon as the two meet. She is a complete and utter airhead whose odd and overly-energetic antics never cease to baffle everyone around her. Nevertheless, she has a good heart and provides Ryuko with invaluable moral support.

Action Survivor: She acts like she'd be better suited for a light-hearted slice-of-life comedy than a testosterone-packed action drama.
Alliterative Name: Mako Mankanshoku. Perfect for a quirky best friend.
Almighty Janitor: Her Two-Star Goku Uniform is by far the most powerful one seen in the series, and probably on par with the Elite Four's Three-Star uniforms. Justified, as she was the Fight Club president. Therefore, unlike the other Two-Star uniforms, which are usually designed for some sport or activity first and foremost, and combat second, her uniform, logically, is fully intended for fighting and nothing else.
Ambiguous Situation: As Ryuko says, it's hard to tell if she's actually strong or weak. Sometimes she acts cowardly, sometimes brave, sometimes she can barely keep up with the physical feats of the combatants and sometimes she can impressively react to or survive against nigh-impossible odds. Turns out to be a Chekhov's Gun during the finale, where it's revealed that the duplicitous nature of Mako's skills means that she's amongst the weakest of the cast without a Goku uniform, but also amongst the strongest WITH one.
Ambition Is Evil: When Mako becomes the Fight Club President and moves her family up the social ladder, she becomes so determined to keep her family's lives comfortable that she fights Ryuko so she can become a Three-Star student.
Amusing Injuries: She gets hit in the face with a flurry of tennis balls until it's literally covered in bumps.
Asleep in Class: To the point where it is a Running Gag; not even ten seconds into class, and she starts snoring. In Episode 4, after she and Ryuko crash through the wall of the classroom from a gondola, Mako gets out of the gondola, sits at her desk and immediately falls asleep.
Badass Normal: While Mako doesn't get to show this off very often (being a noncombatant Cloudcuckoolander), she's actually as strong as Satsuki in Life Fiber Tolerance and Heroic Willpower. She can catch Abnormal Ammo barehanded, and override Life Fibers by the strength of will. Of course, being Mako, she doesn't use this to wear a Kamui - just to wave Honnouji Academy's arms around while she makes a speech.
Balloon Belly: She gets one in Episode 24, after eating a big meal. What's remarkable is that her belly visibly "deflates" shortly thereafter, possibly hinting at a truly Hyperactive Metabolism.
Beat the Curse Out of Him:
- In Episode 12, when Ryuko merges with Senketsu into a rampaging monster, Mako gives her a good solid smack to her head that returns her body to normal. She then smacks her some more, to the point it turns into Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs of slaps.
- She does so again in Episode 21 by donning Senketsu and entering Ryuko's mind somehow. She proceeds to help Ryuko escape being Brainwashed and Crazy.
Beware the Silly Ones: She may be sweet and silly, but as Episode 7 shows, she can be quite ruthless when someone gets in the way of something she wants, even if that someone is her best friend.
Big Eater: She eats even while class is still going, and considers being deployed to Osaka a chance to sample their local delicacies.
Bizarre Taste in Food: She likes cheese, which is considered quite disgusting from the Japanese point of view. Then again, having really oddball tastes suits her perfectly.
Body Sushi: One of her spotlight speeches involves this. It was probably relevant. Somehow.
Book Dumb: Aikuro is amazed she managed to get to high school. It's implied that she can't even read kanji. The fact that her "Hallelujah" speeches are full of kanji-based Visual Puns make this even more hilarious.
Brilliant, but Lazy: She doesn't normally show this, but when she wants something, she will pull out all the stops just to get it. Noted examples are when she catches weaponized paper currency with her bare hands because she wanted to eat all the good food in Osaka and her successful tenure as the Fight Club president to give her family a better life.
Bullet Catch: During Episode 14, Mako catches rapid-fire weaponized paper currency without a Goku Uniform, because she really wants that money to buy takoyaki and other foods in Osaka.
Butt-Monkey: Poor Mako has it hard when it comes to the Student Council. Though the other female characters aren't immune, she often falls victim to Amusing Injuries the most.
Calling the Old Man Out: In Episode 7, Mako calls her family, as well as herself, "the worst" for cheering her on in her fight to the death with Ryuko instead of trying to stop her. They immediately see the error of their ways.
Captain Obvious: States that dying of blood loss means that somebody will die.
Character Tics: She likes to extend her hands above her head and cross her wrists when she's trying to attract attention.
Chewbacca Defense: Mako is the reigning queen of stunning opponents into absolute silence through Insane Troll Logic. This even includes members of the Elite Four and Satsuki.
The Chew Toy: She is more prone to Amusing Injuries than the rest of the cast. This is made even more hilarious by the fact she is able to shrug them off within a second.
Chivalrous Pervert: With Ryuko, though not to the extent of the male members of her family.
Cloudcuckoolander:
- She sings using a banana peel as a microphone, just to name one of the many, many odd things she does. Even among Honnouji, she is a very strange person.
- The second ending theme, "Shin Sekai Kōkyōgaku" (lit. "New World Symphony"), is perhaps the best example of her being one. It seems to take place in her imagination and is full of trippy, colorful images such as Mako standing on a stool made of cookies and pouring rainbows from a vase into a star's exposed brain, bathing in a kiddie pool and being showered with rainbows by an elephant, and flying into the sky on a shooting star alongside numerous other Makos who are dressed as things like an astronaut, a centaur, a mermaid, a police officer, and a pirate.
Conditioned to Accept Horror: On her own, one would never suspect she attends a school that forces her to live in a slum and punishes misbehavior with death.
Cooldown Hug: Gives one to the mutated, rampaging Ryuko/Senketsu monster in Episode 12, cooling her down. Literally; her body is piping hot, and hugging her burns Mako's skin.
Corrupt the Cutie: During Episode 7, her promotion as Fight Club President causes her to become blinded by greed, though she doesn't realize it as she does it to provide for her family.
Covert Pervert:
- When seeing Ryuko's Stripperific outfit having a Wardrobe Malfunction in Episode 9, she can't help but stare despite her (poor) attempts at averting her eyes.
- Her reaction to learning that Ryuko's father founded Nudist Beach? Imagining said founder playing around with naked girls on a beach.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: She may be lacking between the ears but, as Iori states, once you add a Goku Uniform to the equation, her combat abilities are off the charts.
The Cuckoolander Was Right: In Episode 3, after Ryuko is beaten by Satsuki and has a "The Reason You Suck" Speech delivered to her, Mako suggests that Ryuko strip down and prove that she's sexier than Satsuki. This gives Ryuko the idea and resolve to think of wearing Senketsu as a second skin instead of just a really embarrassingly skimpy outfit, which gives her a power boost.
The Cutie: Her happy and carefree nature is utterly adorable.
Damsel in Distress: She often winds up in a bind with the Student Council one way or another, though Ryuko's always there to help her out.
Dark Action Girl: Briefly becomes one in Episode 7 once she gets a Two-Star Goku Uniform.
Department of Redundancy Department: "People die when they're killed by blood loss!" Though this doubles as a Shout-Out to Fate/stay night.
The Ditz: Though she's more of a real cloudcuckoolander who lives in her own world.
Dreadful Musician: Gamagoori thinks so, as he requests that Ryuko make Mako stop "that god-awful singing" when they're getting a ride in his car.
Dumbass Has a Point: Despite her dimwitted nature, she surprisingly gives off some good advice once in a while, bizarre they might be. Even her classmates agree with her on them.
Dumb Is Good: In terms of Honnouji Academy, Mako is the least intelligent as well as the most kindhearted.
Dumb Muscle: When wearing a Goku Uniform, her physical stats are all flickering Level 9999, except her intelligence, which is a big fat zero.
Empowered Badass Normal: Becomes one briefly in Episode 7 when she gets promoted to a Two-Star student. She later gets the uniform back in Episode 22.
Endearingly Dorky: A large part of the reason Ryuko loves Mako is because she's so terribly uncool that she doesn't care about being popular or trendy or well-liked, valuing friendship and loyalty over everything else.
Face–Monster Turn: Is turned into a COVER right before the time skip. She gets better.
Fighting from the Inside: Ryuko pretty much names this trope word-for-word after said fight. It's more like a case of Conflicting Loyalty than direct Mind Control, though. Note that Heroic Willpower is still in full effect.
Foil: To Ryuko. Mako is optimistic, all-loving, spaced out, and constantly happy, while Ryuko is cynical, self-centered, has a one-track mind, and short-tempered. The latter gets better and becomes far more selfless, though.
Friendless Background: Mako says that before Ryuko transferred to Honnouji, the only friends she had were the ones in her head. This is how she comes to relate to Ryuko after she first notices the equally-friendless Matoi talking to Senketsu while initially believing the Kamui to just be ordinary clothes.
Fun Personified: She always tries to lighten the mood and every time she opens her mouth, you can be sure that she will say something crazy, or funny, or (most often) both sooner than later.
Genius Ditz: She's geographically challenged (she thinks the three major cities of Japan's Kansai region are the three major islands around Japan) and is implied to be illiterate (she skips all the kanji while reading a newspaper headline), yet she can present outlandish defenses like no one's business.
Genki Girl: Whenever she's not sleeping, she's being hyperactive and ditzy. She also makes for a surprisingly competent and savvy club president.
Get A Hold Of Yourself Man: In Episode 12, after Senketsu consumes Ryuko and turns them into a monster, Mako is able to restore Ryuko's normal form by slapping her repeatedly even after she's been reverted back to normal.
Hair-Contrast Duo: Ryuko is a Hot-Blooded Japanese Delinquent and has a spiky black bob cut with red highlights. Mako is a Genki Girl and has a neat light brown bob cut.
Ham-to-Ham Combat: She challenges Gamagoori to a cheering competition for their respective sides during the King of the Hill Final Battle.
Hamster-Wheel Power: Uses her immense strength to single handedly power the Naked Sol's turbine engines.
The Heart: Mako may be the Plucky Comic Relief, but she also embodies the spirit of the insane nature of the series and the theme of friendship with her devotion to Ryuko.
Heel Realization: During her stint as the Fight Club President in Episode 7, Mako finds that she and her family seem much happier having their own apartment outside the slums, and fights Ryuko after Satsuki promises her a Three-Star uniform if she wins. It's only until Ryuko stops putting up a fight that Mako sees just how corrupted with greed she and her family have become.
Heroic Willpower:
- Rather than surrender to the power of her Two-Star Goku Uniform and kill Ryuko so she can continue to live wealthily in Episode 7, Mako remains in enough control to hold back and overcome her own desires.
- In Episode 25, despite being its alternate power source, as well as to prevent Satsuki, the main power source, from killing herself, Mako briefly takes control of Hououmaru's Giant Mech and gives an impassioned speech to Ryuko and the Elite Four, which gives them a Heroic Second Wind.
Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Ryuko. Although in her case, the "heterosexual" part is ambiguous to say the least.
Hit Me, Dammit!: Boldly stands in front of a Takarada trooper and orders him to shoot her with money. She catches every single bill then heads off to buy every single Osakan food she can see.
Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Her singing skills are abysmal, her enthusiasm is the opposite.
Human Hummingbird: Probably why she's so strong, when Ryuko accidentally wakes her up at 4am Mako begins flailing around while putting her clothes on, eating breakfast, etc. All the while it shows four afterimages of her all flailing around with her arms and legs becoming a blur!
Hurricane of Puns: Her Hallelujah segments are chock full of visual puns and word-plays, many of which only make sense in Japanese.
Imagine Spot: Her "Halleluiah" moments, which involve her standing in a beam of light performing Visual Puns while talking a mile a minute about something nonsensical that somehow winds up getting through anyways.
Inelegant Blubbering: Tears slide down her face in huge globs and form puddles at her feet when she cries.
Inexplicably Awesome: She's a Cloudcuckoolander with no explanation for the kind of power she can lay down. Even Ryuko can't figure out what the hell is up with her, though the good guys do (eventually) manage to weaponize her weirdness.
Ink-Suit Actor: Mako's hairstyle was modeled off her Japanese voice actress, Aya Suzaki.
Innocent Fanservice Girl: She doesn't have any problem being in the buff and is perfectly oblivious to the reactions of others.
Insane Troll Logic: Pretty much all of her logic qualifies as this.
Insignia Rip-Off Ritual: After a stint as a Two-Star student in Episode 7, she decides that her friendship with Ryuko is more important than her social standing and rips off her uniform for Ryuko to destroy.
Interplay of Sex and Violence: Firing a heavy machine gun mounted on a bus turned her on.
Iron Butt Monkey: The sheer amount of punishment she endures would be nightmarish if it weren't so cartoonish.
It Makes Sense in Context: Some of the stuff she says actually makes sense. For example, she claims that Ryuko won a tennis match because she saved her from being executed by the Tennis Club, which was Ryuko's main concern.
It Runs in the Family: The more is shown about the Mankanshoku family, the more it's obvious that she isn't the only Cloudcuckoolander in the family; even the dog is crazy.
Kindhearted Simpleton: Though not the sharpest tool in the shed, she's nevertheless incredibly loyal, compassionate, and easygoing.
Large Ham: Genki Girl that likes breaking into speeches that typically make sense only to her, and she gets very passionate about them.
Leitmotif:
- The distinctive "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's Messiah can be heard whenever she starts her unusually inspirational speeches.
- There is also her more traditional theme, "Light Your Heart Up", which is about how much she enjoys being Ryuko's friend.
Let's Get Dangerous!: At the end of Episode 22, Mako gets her Two-Star Fight Club uniform back to defend the Naked Sun.
Limited Animation: A noticeable character trait, like Nui. Unlike Nui, however, Mako's is played up for comedic purposes. Her nose also has a habit of disappearing every now and again.
Loon with a Heart of Gold: Fits the trope to a T. She's extremely quirky, naive, ditzy... Well, a complete cloudcuckoolander, but she's definitely kind and helpful towards Ryuko.
Morality Chain: Both her and Senketsu take turns taking Ryuko out of her shell — Mako's quirkiness helps ease Ryuko out of her angst.
Motor Mouth: She is known to give long-winded rants almost Once per Episode, complete with quirky animaitons.
Ms. Exposition: She helps get Ryuko up to speed on the happenings at Honnouji Academy.
My God, What Have I Done?: Her reaction when she nearly kills Ryuko just so she can be promoted to a Three-Star student.
Naïve Everygirl: Her singular codifying character trait in the entire series. Whether it's interrupting a heated battle to deliver a necessary speech about the importance of cross dressing or being the only person able to calm down a berserk Ryuko, Mako's naivety combined with her unflagging optimism is the show's continuing source of humor, as well as heart.
Narrative Shapeshifting: She turns into various people and things during her crazy monologues, to better convey what she's talking about. Among the others, she turned into Ryuko, Satsuki, Tsumugu and Ragyo.
Nice Girl: She might be completely bananas, but she's also sweet, caring and loyal to her friends.
Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: She sings a cheerful road song about going on a drive to Hell.
No Sense of Personal Space: Towards Ryuko, frequently glomping and groping her. She also has no problems treating Gamagoori like a climbing frame.
Not Herself: Ryuko notes how Mako becomes less and less like her usual chipper self after becoming the Fight Club president. First, she becomes increasingly formal and smug, and when she gets a Two-Star uniform, she is noticeably more brutal and doesn't even crack a smile.
Ocular Gushers: When Gamagoori shields her from a stab attack by Nui, then tells her about having no regrets before passing out, her eyes instantly gush out ridiculous streams of water that nearly make up a puddle.
Odd Name Out: Her name is written with kana, instead of kanji like the majority of the cast.
Offscreen Teleportation: On No-Late Day, she manages to catch Gamagoori completely off-guard by popping up out of nowhere on the podium next to where he's standing. She does it again on Ryuko, in her Mental World no less.
Only Friend: She's the only student in the entire school who talks to Ryuko without trying to kill her or get under her skin.
Parody Sue: Mako covers a lot of the traits. Quirky, cheerful, energetic, buxom, an every-girl that manages to defuse the drama of a dangerous situation, the first and only friend of the protagonist, incredibly powerful and brilliant when she actually tries to be, and she has the odd friendship (later crush) and leniency of the ultra-strict disciplinary committee's chair. Sanageyama even lampshades her eccentric behavior:
Sanageyama: That one has resolve, too. That, or she's an idiot.
Plucky Comic Relief: Often she'll interrupt very dramatic moments to lighten the atmosphere and (humorously) encourage Ryuko.
Plucky Girl: She always comes out of any situation with a smile on her face, no matter what. She's pushed to her limits when sharing a stand with the demoted Elite Four while cheering Ryuko on during the King of the Hill Final Battle, resorting in her cheering for herself so she won't crack under the pressure.
The Pollyanna: She hardly ever seems aware she's in a school run by a fascist student body.
The Power of Friendship: Her friendship with Ryuko is ultimately what snaps the latter out of Junketsu's control and Ragyo's Fake Memories.
The Promise: Just before Ryuko heads off to her final battle, Mako makes Ryuko promise to go on a date with her when she comes back.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: How she snatches all the paper bills shot at her, complete with "ATATATATATA!!!"
Rich Bitch: Her and her entire family turned into this in Episode 7 after Mako received a One-Star Goku Uniform off of the success of her Fight Club, upgrading them to a better apartment. They were consumed by their wealth and greed almost instantly to the point of Mako turning against Ryuko, and it took her until the end of the episode to realize the error of her ways.
The Rival: One-sided for Nui, who regards Mako and her nonsensical rants with particular vehemence and in the final battle expresses the intent of shutting her up once and for all. Mako, being Mako, is mostly oblivious to this.
Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick: The Nice Sidekick to Ryuko's Rude Hero. Ryuko is aggressive and crass while Mako is bubbly and sweet.
Say My Name: There have been two instances wherein Ryuko's life has been in danger and Mako resorts to yelling her name over and over and over.
Screw the War, We're Partying: Satsuki and her lackeys are busy conquering Osaka (and Kobe and Kyoto) and things are going up in flames. Ryuko is going on a desperate trip to recover Senketsu's missing pieces. Aikuro has dropped his teacher guise and returned to being a Nudist Beach operative. And Mako? She's on a culinary trip through the aforementioned burning Osaka.
Shadow Archetype: A benevolent example; she's a good (albeit exaggerated) representation of what Ryuko could've been if she was shown familial love growing up, and both of them have Friendless Backgrounds.
Shameless Fanservice Girl: When held upside-down, she complains that she forgot to bring her sexy panties, and that's just the first episode. For someone who wears normal clothes, she also tends to show off a lot of Underboobs.
Simple-Minded Wisdom: Her ramblings can be profound when viewed at the right angle:
Mako: My life's traffic lights are always yellow!
Gamagoori: "In life, proceed with caution," eh?
Skewed Priorities: She has several priorities when caught in a death trap, and her life is never one of them:
- Episode 1: She's less concerned about being fried alive in boiling oil and more concerned about how the oil will make her clothes see-through, and that she wasn't wearing her sexy panties that day.
- Episode 5: She's afraid that if the Biology Club slices her belly open, it would ruin the lunch she stashed in her clothes.
- Episode 12: She considers the burns she suffers from giving a Cooldown Hug to Ryuko a free tan.
- Episode 16: When Mikisugi asks her if she has the resolve to join them in battle, she says that she doesn't... have the resolve to get naked, but will follow them because she is Ryuko's friend.
Sleepyhead: Shockingly enough, for a Genki Girl such as herself, she can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, even when cheering for Ryuko in the middle of a fight.
Smart Jerk and Nice Moron: The Nice Moron to Ryuko's Smart Jerk. Ryuko is a cunning, Hot-Blooded Blood Knight and Anti-Hero. Mako is quite airheaded and dimwitted, but she is also loyal and compassionate to a fault, serving as Ryuko's Morality Pet.
Spanner in the Works: Constantly. Mako may not have any powers but her enthusiastic love for her friends and boundless optimism has more than once got the heroes back on their feet and back into the fight. In fact, it's one of the main reason the villain's plans fail because they overlook Mako just for being a simple and seemingly powerless human. When in reality, it quite the opposite, it's her human spirit that keeps them going.
Still Sucks Thumb: She is seen briefly sucking her thumb while asleep in the second ending theme.
Strike Me Down: Tells a brainwashed Ryuko inside her Mental World to kill her if the latter insists on staying cooped up in her Fake Memories, which Ryuko does, but ultimately snaps out of her funk, with Mako relatively unharmed.
Talking Is a Free Action: Whenever she starts her motivational speech, everyone stops, no matter how heated the situation is except when Nui interrupts and scares her into silence.
Temporarily a Villain: In Episode 7, she gets promoted to a Two-Star Club President and fights Ryuko to become the school's fifth Three-Star student and maintain her family's new-found wealth and social status, thinking they'd be much happier than when they were poor. However, she resigns once she realizes that she'll kill her best friend if she keeps things up.
Tomboy and Girly Girl: While Mako plays the role of the friendship-obsessed and good-natured character, Ryuko has a tougher image, doing lots of fighting, being of a gruffer nature and cursing frequently. The two are very close and spend a lot of time together and their contrasting views help them grow throughout the series, particularly with helping Ryuko let go of her anger in her quest for vengeance.
Übermensch: She's unphilosophical and unintelligent than the standard, being less a result of being Above Good and Evil than viewing the world through the lens of Insane Troll Logic. Mako completely defies the expectations of her environment and refuses to be a part of Satsuki's fascistic organization. She does not care about the consequences of this at all, and fearlessly defies Satsuki and the Elite Four to their faces.
Unskilled, but Strong: She has no combat training of her own, and has to rely entirely on her Two-Star Goku Uniform to be of any use in battle. However, her Life Fiber tolerance is on par with Satsuki's - in other words, her natural strength is as high as a human's can get. When equipped with her uniform, which takes care of her lack of fighting ability for her, she's at least as powerful as the Elite Four; Houka's computer system shows her with a maxed-out Power Level.
Victoria's Secret Compartment: Where she keeps her lunch box, though considering its size, it's more like hammerspace.
Visual Pun: Mako is the absolute master of making these, especially during her "Halleluiah" moments, though you won't understand most of it unless you know Japanese. For example, she grows a bird's ("tori") beak when she says that she going to bring Ryuko back to her senses ("torimodosu") from her Heroic RRoD.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: She accepts the job as Fight Club President to improve her standing in the school, and her family's social standing with it, no matter what. So, when Ryuko's resignation threatens to send her family back to the slums, and since the reward for any club president to beat her is a Three-Star uniform, the most logical conclusion to her is to fall out with her friend.
While Rome Burns: She actually goes on a sightseeing tour of Osaka as the city goes up in flames during Satsuki's invasion.
Willfully Weak: She greatly holds back while fighting Ryuko in a Two-Star Goku Uniform in Episode 7, as she could easily punch a crater in the ground with her uniform's powers, but subconsciously fears killing Ryuko if she were to go all out.
Wrestler in All of Us: She punishes her younger brother by putting him through a number of wrestling holds.

As the Fight Club President

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/two_star_mako.png

During Episode 7, Mako, along with Ryuko, starts a Fight Club in order to abuse Satsuki's policies, but the Mankanshokus end up becoming ridiculously rich, with Mako forgetting her initial objective in the process and becoming engrossed in earning money for her family. Satsuki later gives Mako a powerful two-star Goku Uniform in order to fight against Ryuko so she can maintain her family's new-found wealth.

Badass Adorable: Even with that powerful uniform on, she's still Mako. The jacket and hat are clearly not her sizes and she still sports her cute puffed-cheek look when she gets mad. Also, remember that Two-Star Uniforms are intended to dramatically enhance the wearer's proficiency doing whatever they're Club President of. Mako is president of the only club in the Academy focused specifically on fighting. What did you expect?
Badass Longcoat: Her Two-Star Goku Uniform has one that is decorated with Spikes of Villainy.
Batter Up!: Mako's weapon of choice for this particular episode is a wooden bat with golden nails in it that doubles as a rocket launcher.
Bling-Bling-BANG!: All of Mako's weapons while wearing this uniform are accented with gold.
The Bus Came Back: The uniform comes back in Episode 22, as Mako wears it and faces off against a Kaiju-sized COVERS.
Cap: The stat variation. Mako originally has all of her stats at zero. The second time she dons the uniform, which is only a Two-Star by the way, her stats become a series of "9999s." Her intelligence, however, remains at zero.
Chain Pain: She tosses Ryuko around the school courtyard with a long, gilded chain.
Coat Cape: Mako wears her Badass Longcoat as such.
Dark Is Not Evil: The second appearance.
Evil Costume Switch: The Two-Star uniform's first appearance.
Flechette Storm: Hurls a barrage of golden hand tools at Ryuko.
Humanizing Tears: Despite being promoted to a villainess and toughening up considerably, she becomes a sobbing mess when she can't bring herself to finish off Ryuko.
Hyperspace Arsenal: She is loaded with various weapons.
Japanese Delinquents: Her uniform is very Jotaro-esque, sporting a spike-studded coat-cape, tattered hat, and a clover straw poking out of her mouth.
Manly Tears: An ultra-rare feminine example. She's still a passionate badass who cries her heart out.
Megaton Punch: She can use a brass knuckle to punch a crater into the ground, and in Episode 22, the uniform itself punches a Kaiju-sized COVERS upon its return.
Monster of the Week: The title of Fight Club President, as well as its uniform, only appears in Episode 7, but is quite a twist for Mako. This goes out of the window once the uniform makes an awesome comeback in Episode 22.
Oral Fixation: Her uniform comes with a clover straw to chew on.
Power Fist: Wears a brass knuckle with the president's name emblazoned on it.
Real Women Don't Wear Dresses: As you've noticed, Mako's Evil Costume Switch is much more tomboyish than her own usual demeanor and wardrobe. It's downplayed since she clearly still wears her zero-star uniform, literally a dress, under her Coat Cape, symbolizing that it's still Mako under all that toughness.
Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs: One of the many attacks Mako unleashes on Ryuko.
Shout-Out: The appearance and abilities of the Fight Club President's Goku uniform are a blatant reference of Jotaro Kujo's uniform from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, right down to the tuft of hair on the back of the hat.
Unskilled, but Strong: She's presumably never had any formal combat training. That said, she can unleash Rapid-Fire Fisticuffs that would make Kenshiro bow in respect.
Wrestler in All of Us: She punishes her younger brother by putting him through a number of wrestling holds.

Characters / Kill la Kill - Main Characters

Character-Specific Pages

Satsuki Kiryuin

Voiced by: Ryōka Yuzuki (Japanese), Carrie Keranen (English)^{Foreign VAs}

Senketsu

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), David Vincent (English)^{Foreign VAs}

Mako Mankanshoku

Voiced by: Aya Suzaki (Japanese), Christine Marie Cabanos (English)^{Foreign VAs}

As the Fight Club President

Alternative Title(s): Kill La Kill Satsuki Kiryuin

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Characters / Kill la Kill - Main Characters

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Character-Specific Pages

Satsuki Kiryuin

Voiced by: Ryōka Yuzuki (Japanese), Carrie Keranen (English) Foreign VAsJulie Deliquet (French), Sandra Lühr (German), Monica Vulcano (Italian)

Senketsu

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), David Vincent (English) Foreign VAsYann Pichon (French), Matthias Keller (German), Massimo De Ambrosis (Italian)

Mako Mankanshoku

Voiced by: Aya Suzaki (Japanese), Christine Marie Cabanos (English) Foreign VAsCaroline Combes (French), Annette Potempa (German), Emanuela Damasio (Italian)

As the Fight Club President

Alternative Title(s): Kill La Kill Satsuki Kiryuin

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Voiced by: Ryōka Yuzuki (Japanese), Carrie Keranen (English)^{Foreign VAs}

Voiced by: Toshihiko Seki (Japanese), David Vincent (English)^{Foreign VAs}

Voiced by: Aya Suzaki (Japanese), Christine Marie Cabanos (English)^{Foreign VAs}